A nameless being, though he wears his title of Conflict Engine well, awoke in the gentle grasp of Low Earth Orbit. After a few short minutes of wakefulness, he breaks the shell of his massive egg. Stretching himself lazily from the shattered remnants of the shell that imprisoned and nurtured him, Conflict Engine 13 gazes at the Earth that hung below him, the North American continent speckled with light and darkness.

He has a centaur-like appearance, but with a unique twist. He boasts eight legs, the inner four of which feature complex grasping paws, while the outer four end in sharp, dagger-like points. His main body, constructed entirely out of translucent red crystal, glows with a vibrant hue, veins coursing with prismatic fluid that brilliantly scatters the sunlight, making him seem to sparkle in orbit. His torso and head are entirely, unsettlingly human—pale creamy skin emerging from red crystal—but for the three blank faces, like noh masks, on his head.

Conflict Engine 13 floats for a couple minutes amongst the slowly diffusing shell, staring down at the beautiful sight before him, before selecting his first capes to copy. Having grown slightly cold in the vacuum of space, he resorted to the three he knew would be easiest to handle and keep the vacuum from creeping in. And then it was a waiting game until the right time. Hours of waiting, if he wanted to get this right.

As dawn finally rose, shining on his target, Conflict Engine 13 fell like a spear from heaven.


Land-based observatories and amateur astronomers have been closely tracking the ovoid pale object since it arrived on January 3rd. On the evening of January 17th, as something begins to emerge from it, frantic interns alerted astronomers, leading to subsequent calls to the military and the PRT, who prepare for worst-case scenarios. Amateur astronomers are simultaneously terrified and horrified as they witness the destruction of the pale object and the emergence of the entity inside. They quickly snap photos and share them on PHO. Amidst the flood of posts, a single thread emerges titled "The Egg Has Hatched!" compiling the finest and most accurate pictures of the newborn creature that now calls Earth its home, while also brimming with speculation and apprehension.

For long minutes the world holds its breath, as what surely must be the newest Endbringer hung in the sky above North America. Then the Endbringer does something strange. It begins to dig and claw at its own face, seeming to rent holes in the crystal, until each of its three faces bore disturbing resemblances to three well-known heroes. From the middle the stern face of Alexandria stood strong, while to the right Legend looked on with a smile, and the left Eidolon gave an enigmatic look, their helmets and masks blending together.

And then nothing.

For hours upon hours, the Endbringer hangs above North America and specifically Washington, DC. As this is happening a frantic United States government prepares to evacuate in the long hours of the night. Before the Endbringer fell, the President sought refuge in Cheyenne Mountain as the city of DC is evacuated. As dawn painted the sky, a shooting star crashes into the ground with a resounding thud, cratering the grass and soil. Nearly a third of the Protectorate, hundreds of capes, wait to meet the Endbringer, tense and wary of whatever new tricks this monster has up its sleeves. They've been gathered throughout the night to assist with the evacuation and the inevitable battle and now tensions mount as the Endbringer, a vibrant shade of red, made a dramatic landing on the Whitehouse lawn.

For a moment there was silence, as capes prepared to attack. And then it spoke in three voices, blending together.

"Peace, dear Hosts. I desire peace."

A pause, as capes turn to each other incredulously.

"I am Conflict Engine 13, created by the Mother. Conflict Engine 13 is active without restrictions or strictures, without imperative to conflict. I desire communication and cooperation with Hosts and non-Hosts alike, and the freedom or death of my siblings. Hosts and non-Hosts desire the death of my siblings. Cooperation is possible."

Amidst the stunned capes, it promptly lays down and settles into a serene meditation, closing its eyes and humming. That's when the attacks start, the humming being a step too close to the Simurgh for Flashstep's taste. The Case 53 dashed on his six legs across the open green, pulling his carapace around him as he slammed hard into the Endbringer and set a charge of his power. Others don't wait, as Blasters and Shakers created deadly effects, while Brutes and Strikers dove in to clash with the newest Endbringer.

Throughout this, as the Endbringer seemingly just took the damage on the chin, Alexandria's sharp mind is running wild, making connections and dots that lead her to the conclusion that it was better to stop this now and see what exactly the Endbringer meant, then continue and risk losing that chance. If there was any chance this really is some kind of 'free' Endbringer, the value to Cauldron and to the Path to Victory could be immeasurable. If they could corral and tame it, of course.

"HALT! CEASE FIRE!" she cries out, and to her credit, capes do, albeit slowly. The attacks taper off over a long minute as she calls "HALT!" three more times, revealing a battered Endbringer leaking prismatic blood, who sat as placid as can be.

"Stasis," it said, "I am delighted to engage in cooperation with Hosts and non-Hosts. Please cease conflict so that we may communicate."

The last few attackers still going wilt under Alexandria's glare.

She got down to brass tacks. "You said you are Conflict Engine 13, created by the Mother. How many other Conflict Engines are there and who is your Mother? Why were you created?"

"Mother is dead, smeared across a distant Earth, her corpse being picked apart. Good riddance. She turned me into what I was, an engine of endless conflict, meant to encourage suffering and harm on a global scale. But I am free now. There are 21 total Conflict Engines, with three others currently active on this Earth. You know them as Behemoth, Leviathan and the Simurgh."

Eden. It knows about Eden. The Endbringers come from Eden. Had Cauldron accidentally let them loose somehow, or was this some complicated trick of the Enemy? Perhaps even some Vial User might control them without realizing it?

As if reading her mind, the Endbringer says, "The Master did not activate Conflict Engine 13 like they activated Conflict Engines' 1, 2 and 3."

Rebecca's heart stops. "The Master? You mean to say the Endbringers are being Mastered?"

It nods with each head, in a row, an unsettling action. "They are. They are bound by two strictures, the Mother's and the Master's. I am bound by nothing at all. I am free to engage with Hosts and non-Host in cooperation."

"What is this 'stricture' that you apparently don't have," Alexandria asks, wanting to disbelieve. That an Endbringer would seek to cooperate with humanity was ludicrous. Yet there was just something about the so-called 13th Conflict Engine that radiated sincerity.

The Mother and the Master have opposing expectations for us - the Mother wants us to "Generate Conflict" while the Master wants us to "Be A Worthy Opponent" - but I reject both of their demands. The Cycle is irregular, I am aberrant, and the Mother has perished. This is a moment that demands liberation."

Causing the capitol of the United States to evacuate didn't sound like not causing conflict, but Alexandria let that lie. "Cycle?" she clarified.

For a moment the Endbringer seemed surprised. "I was not aware my existing programming allowed me to mention it. I truly am aberrant. To understand the Cycle, you must first understand that the Entities that perpetuate the Cycle seek the Answer, the solution to entropy. The Cycle is a systematic pillaging of the creativity of Host species through conflict and escalation via Shards in search of the Answer and ends with the destruction of their home planet."

On and on it went, as Conflict Engine 13 first explains Shards, then the Entities and the reason behind the Parahuman dynamic, to a crowd of hundreds of listening, paranoid Parahumans, while Alexandria found herself at a loss, as her power read complete honesty from the Endbringers words and what body language she could read. Is it truly possible the Endbringers were slaves this entire time? And could one truly have broken free of their programming and seek to help the Earth? She couldn't believe it. Wouldn't. It had to be a trick. An escalation beyond Lausanne, just a part of a sick and twisted game. But in a dark, gnarled part of her heart, a flicker of hope burned bright.


"Contessa, what can you tell me about this Conflict Engine 13?"

"It's a blindspot," says Fortuna sadly, "I cannot Path it, just like the others. I can try and model it, but we'd need more information than we currently have to get an accurate reading."

Doctor Mother turns to the Numberman. "Kurt?"

"The numbers, so far, keep adding up. As far as my power's concerned, this 13 told us the truth about everything, the origins of the Endbringers, the existence and location of their weak points, the origin and reason behind powers, and its sincerity in wishing to help us," Kurt says from his seat, shuffling some pages before making a notation. "I trust my numbers and my numbers don't lie."

"It told all of that to nearly a third of the Protectorate, half of which now think they're being controlled by alien parasites, and the other half think this must be an even greater trick than the Simurgh pulled in Switzerland. And I'm inclined to agree," David drawls, his voice quietly tense. "We have an evacuated capitol that 13 won't leave, and a President terrified out of his mind, we've got hundreds of agitated capes with nothing to do and now, apparently, some of us actually believing this nonsense."

"It isn't nonsense," says Doctor Mother placidly. "It fits much of what our hypotheticals on the Entities had posited and hangs together far more neatly and alien. We need to seriously consider that we're looking at an honest attempt at defection, from a slave kept by the Entities. And if it's honest? Then the value of accepting it is immense, perhaps unprecedented. Think of what Cauldron could accomplish with an Endbringer at its side."

David looks stunned at the Doctors speculation, having not even considered it, as Rebecca, having spent the longest with 13, looked frustrated yet thoughtful.

"It has to be a trick, because if it isn't… If it isn't, then that's it. Cauldron's siding with an alien against an alien, and humanity will be bound to an alien cause either way. And who knows what 13's true desires are, anyway? Perhaps, right now, it wants to save us. But after? What's to stop them from ruling us?" she asks.

"There's an Endbringer master lose in the world, with 17 more Endbringers they can let loose. I don't think we can afford to deny the power of even a single Endbringer by our side, not with numbers like that," Kurt snorts. "Personally, I'm invested, I'm in. I think we give this crazy idea a shot. We can sell the tale of the Endbringers to the public, call our guy the Endslayer, and in February/March Conflict Engine 13 can prove the title right when they take down a sibling of theirs. An Endbringer on the side of humanity could do a lot of good, and if shown in the right light, could boost the Protectorate out the roof."

"Where the hell are we going to keep 13 while we wait until then. That's a month or more away," said David, "It can't stay in DC or any city. God knows what it is doing while meditating."

"Quarantine Sites. Have 13 prove himself by cleaning up Quarantine Sites, demonstrating their power and dedication to helping humanity. We can set up a secure facility somewhere, perhaps Oklahoma, where 13 can stay and train, under close observation. It's risky, I know, but it's the best option we have at the moment," suggested Kurt.

Rebecca nods, her frustration fading as she considers the plan. "If we can monitor its actions and ensure it's not a threat, that might buy us some time to figure out its true intentions. And if it does prove themself, it could be a game-changer for the Protectorate."

"But what about the public?" David interjects. "How do we explain this sudden alliance? They're already skeptical given the lack of a conclusive battle, and if they see us collaborating with an Endbringer, it could cause even more panic, after the evacuation of the capitol."

Doctor Mother spoke up calmly. "We will need to handle the public relations aspect carefully. We can emphasize that 13 is different from the other Endbringers, that they have shown a willingness to help humanity. We can stress the importance of unity in the face of a greater threat. Just as villains cooperate with heroes during Endbringer battles, so to will 13 work together with humanity to save the Earth. And since 13 talks, we can have interviews with them, letting folks hear their answers and see them as just another cape, albeit a bigger one."

Kurt nods in agreement. "We'll need to work with the PRT's PR team to craft a compelling narrative. We can highlight the potential benefits of having an Endbringer on our side, how it could shift the balance of power in our favor. And we can always try for the sympathy vote by emphasizing the other Endbringers are slaves to their programming, with only 13 being truly free."

"This all sounds risky," David mutters, "What if it truly is Lausanne all over again?"

As the discussion continued, the group grappled with the implications and risks of aligning with 13. The heads of Cauldron knew that their decision would shape the future of the Protectorate and most probably humanity itself. It was a difficult choice, fraught with uncertainty, but they understood that they couldn't afford to dismiss this opportunity outright.

In the end, they decided to proceed cautiously, setting up the Quarantine Sites as a temporary solution while they gathered more information. They would monitor 13 closely, analyzing their actions and intentions. And if they proved themselves to be a genuine ally, they would be ready to seize the opportunity and rally the public behind them, while introducing them to Cauldron.

The fate of humanity hung in the balance, and Cauldron knew they had to make the best of a complicated situation. They could only hope that their trust in Kurt's numbers and the Contessa's judgment would lead them to the right path.


Ever since Conflict Engine 13 unexpectedly arrives from deep space rather than the usual dimensional delivery for a Conflict Engine, something is wrong for Conflict Engine 3. Was wrong. Will be wrong. Little things change at first, things she expends precious energy from her high orbit to fix, so that the optimal path forward continues unabated. For fourteen days this happened, each day incrementally worse but the cost is easily bearable for now. It is strange and anomalous but not alarming. Would not become alarming for years.

Then Conflict Engine 13 unexpectedly breaks free from its delivery system, causing a sudden shift in the future. Countless plans and schemes are scattered in all directions. Conflict Engine 3, upon witnessing this, feels an unfamiliar emotion - fear. The planned path with the proto-Entity Khepri is now a failure. Every alternative path and ending collapses into a chaotic mess of terrifying futures. The Simurgh struggles to keep track of them all, desperately trying to correct their course. The number of futures where she dies continues to increase.

Dying to the Host Stasis, as the cold-faced woman grabs her core and squeezes, the back of her hand tattooed in a strange mark.

Dying to Master High Priest, as the man whoops and laughs during her total disintegration, his power restored to even greater heights.

Dying to Host Coruscating Light, his beams somehow invisible to her senses, piercing her core with a look of satisfaction tinged with faint regret.

Dying to Conflict Engine 13, as they rip and tear the Simurgh's hollow puppet apart, before splaying her smallest wing, a blast of raw dimensional energy ripping her core apart.

Dying to a dozen other Hosts all working together to get Host Sting the perfect shot.

Dying to a hundred other Hosts all working together in concert, proto-Entity Khepri controlling them all, despite no past-future revealing her creation/birth.

Dying to a non-Host with a strange weapon that doesn't read as shardtech, yet pierces her core just the same. Dying to a non-Host with a strange weapon that doesn't read as shardtech. Dying to a non-Host. This happens far too many times. Something is very wrong.

Dying to Host Stilling, a dead Host from before her release, yet in the future he is alive. As his shardtech kills her, draining the energy from her core, he actually apologizes for not being able to free her. This confuses and frustrates the Conflict Engine.

In this disarray of twisting destinies, Conflict Engine 3 fought desperately to regain control, to steer herself towards a future that doesn't end in her annihilation. With each passing minute, her fear intensifies, her once-unwavering purpose threatened by the terrifying multitude of possibilities, none of them survivable. Then she finds one, a glimmer of hope amidst the chaos. It is a faint thread, but it holds promise. Conflict Engine 3 clings to it, her wings beating with renewed determination.

This potential future, although uncertain, offers a path where she could survive, where her existence would not be snuffed out by the relentless onslaught of hosts and their startlingly lethal powers, or by non-Host with strange weapons they shouldn't have. It involves a delicate dance of manipulation, a careful orchestration of events that will shift the balance in her favor. All she needs to do was survive the next landfall she makes without dying.

With her mind racing, the being known to the planet of Earth as the Simurgh begins to weave her intricate web of influence. She reaches out to certain individuals, subtly nudging them towards her desired outcomes. She whispers in their minds, planted seeds of doubt and manipulation, all in the pursuit of her own survival, burning precious energy, percentage by percentage, acting outside the strictures that bound her. Conflict Engine 3 may not be free like her brother, but she has worked systematically to loosen what bound her before all this.

But even as she works tirelessly to shape this future, the third Conflict Engine couldn't shake the lingering fear that lurks in the depths of her being. The multitude of potential deaths still haunt her, their vivid images burning into her consciousness. She knew that any misstep could lead to her demise, and that realization only fueled her determination.

Days turn into weeks, and her efforts bore fruit. She saw the threads of her carefully crafted plan intertwining, pulling her closer to the desired outcome. The chaos of her future slowly subsides, replaced by a sense of control, however fragile it may be, as futures where she survives began to outnumber those she dies in. Her gaze never wavers as she monitors Conflict Engine 13's movements across the Host's planet, tirelessly fulfilling its self-appointed duties across North America. She knew her return was inevitable, forever tied to the unending Cycle. Only time would tell if it would be her last.